Sailing is Sirius Business
by NeonDomino
Summary: Pirate!AU - Six months ago, Hermione wouldn't have believed that she would end up as a pirate, but now she can't imagine anything else. When the crew stumble across Captain Sirius' ex-lover, Remus, Hermione starts to doubt her place on board and at Sirius' side. That is, unless they can work something out. Written for Firefly.


**Sailing is Sirius Business**

Hermione/Sirius/Remus

Dedicated to Firefly

* * *

Hermione walked out from the Captain's Quarters and fixed the bandanna on the top her her head. She eagerly climbed the stairs towards the ship's wheel and smiled widely at Harry.

He returned the grin and stepped aside as Hermione reached him, taking the wheel in her hands.

"We're making good time to Tortuga," Harry informed her. "No hat today?"

Hermione pouted slightly as she took in her bearings. "Unfortunately not," she murmured. "You know how he gets about his hat."

"Please don't tell me any details," Harry begged. "Last time you said he wore only his hat when you had sex. I don't need to know these things."

Hermione smirked at him.

"You know, I miss the old Hermione who used to blush at the mention of sex," Harry muttered. "Sirius has corrupted you!"

"A man's hat is precious, love," came a voice behind them as arms wrapped around Hermione's waist and lips met her neck. "I knew I'd find you here at the wheel. It's my job. As for corruption, I'm fairly certain it was the lovely Lady Hermione who corrupted me!"

Harry snorted and Sirius turned his head. "Morning Harry," he said. "All well?"

"Everything is fine. We'll be in Tortuga come evening," Harry replied.

"Alright. Off to bed with you. Get some rest, you'll want it for when we reach land."

"Yes Captain," Harry replied, not wasting another second before rushing off, leaving Sirius and Hermione alone.

"So, Milady, excited to get your feet back on land?"

"You ask me that every time," Hermione replied. "Six months at sea and I find myself more eager to board the ship than leave it."

His grip tightened and he pulled her body back against his. "Is that because you want to get back into my Quarters?"

"I think after five months of sharing your bed, it's safe to call them 'ours', don't you agree? Unless you don't see me as a permanent fixture in them."

"Do you see yourself as—" Sirius began.

"Don't twist the question around," Hermione insisted. "Either you do or you don't, Sirius."

"Love, you know I do," Sirius insisted. "But do you want me to get my hopes up? You'll tire and leave. They all do."

"And there lies your mistake," Hermione snapped, taking her hands from the wheel and turning, though Sirius still maintained his grip on her waist. "You assume I'm going to leave. I know I'm exactly where I belong. You're one of the most feared pirate captains in the world. You could have your pick of any wench—"

"And I chose Lady Granger, runaway and stowaway," Sirius finished. "Our rooms," he stated decidedly. "I would never ask you to leave, Hermione."

"I'd never leave you," Hermione admitted softly, reaching up and grabbing his hat from his head. She placed it on her own. "I was saying that there's more chance of you leaving me. I'm still new to this life and I mess up more often than not. I'm sure the crew still laugh at me."

"Laugh at you, no. Oggle you when you come out wearing my clothes, I'm certain of it," Sirius insisted, his hand slipping down to gently squeeze her arse. "I have to say that you look delectable in my trousers. My shirt…" he brought his other hand to the half buttoned shirt, "well, I'm afraid that my men get to see more of you than I want, so we'll have to fix that."

"How do you suggest we do that?" Hermione asked.

Sirius glanced around, quickly noticing that they were alone on the deck of the ship. He spun Hermione around, smirking as she grabbed the wheel to catch her balance.

"That's it, just stay like that," he murmured, reaching around her body to undo the trousers. They were pulled down and Sirius made quick work of his own.

"Sirius, we can't do this here… again," Hermione hissed, making no move to stop him.

"I'm not hearing a no," Sirius teased. "We could wait until tonight instead…"

"Okay, just… just quickly," Hermione insisted, pressing back against him. "And don't even think of trying to take the shirt off me too."

"I think we learnt our lesson about that already," Sirius murmured in her ear. "Hold on tight, love, and try and be quiet this time."

"As long as you try too. You make more noise than me. Also, this is the opposite of covering me up so the men don't see me."

"Actually, this is so the men know not to look at you in that way or I'll kill them," Sirius murmured against her throat.

...oOo...

Hermione dressed carefully for the visit into Tortuga. Last time she had worn her less formal dresses that Sirius liked to see her in on board and there had been some confusion on land.

The confusion being someone attempting to purchase her for the night. That had been five months ago; days before Hermione found her way into Sirius' bed. Sirius had been overly protective as had the rest of the men on the ship. Harry had escorted Hermione back to the ship and away from the leering men, though she insisted she was fine to stay.

Sirius had gotten himself into a fight with the one that had made the mistake in the first place. Hermione had never asked how the fight ended, she just knew that it had been rough. She had been the one to patch the crew up, earning a much needed place on board the ship as the medic.

She knew they would have let her stay without a role, but Hermione needed it for herself. She needed to be useful. Plus, she was tired of helping the cook. Cooking wasn't her strong suit.

Her dress had been taken from the last ship they had robbed. Hermione had enjoyed looking through the finery of the snobby ladies aboard the ship and choosing the pieces she would fit into and the jewellery that would hang from her neck. She also knew how to defend herself should an enemy get onto the boat. Sirius, at first, wanted her locked away should the boat be invaded, but after a close encounter with another pirate, Sirius decided it best that Hermione learn to defend herself.

She tucked knives into the bodice of her dress and stepped out of the quarters. As she made her way onto the deck, she was met with wolf-whistles by all of the crew. She smile back at them, blushing slightly.

...oOo...

Hermione danced with Harry, her first friend aboard the Marauder, whilst Sirius conducted his business. She knew that Sirius was watching: he was always watching her, and she had to admit that she loved being the centre of his attention. She loved meeting his gaze and seeing the emotions in them. Sometimes affection, but in a bar, watching her dance with the crewmates, his eyes usually held lust and want, and Hermione always knew she was in for an exhausting night in their bed.

As she danced, she took the chance to look around. The years of growing up as a Lady and attending parties benefited her as it helped her read people. From her spot, she could see where Sirius couldn't. She searched for opportunities for Sirius. There were always men searching for others to do something for them. Left-behind crew that needed a ship. She could also see if anyone was watching Sirius, or following him.

That evening, there didn't seem to be much of anything happening. She allowed Harry to twirl her and went back to enjoying her evening.

The pair moved to the bar and Harry ordered drinks for them both. Hermione leaned against the bar next to him, catching her breath.

"Remind me not to take you dancing again," Harry said.

"I'll remind you of that next time we dance," Hermione laughed. "Do you think Sirius is finished yet?" As the words fell from her lips, she noticed that the teenage boy next to Harry stiffened at Sirius' name. It was just the tiniest movement, but it had Hermione on alert.

"I don't think so," Harry murmured, oblivious to the possible threat next to him. "He'd be over here getting himself a drink if he were. I heard we're celebrating. We got the best deal ever on the rum, thanks to the crush the woman in the other pub has on Neville; Sirius got a nice supply of food too. Don't tell him I told you, but I think he's got you some of the wine you like!"

"Well, once he's finished, I'm going to get him to take a walk with me, before we head back to the docks. It'd be nice to have some quiet time on the Marauder before we ship off."

"Yeah well, just keep the noise down this time," Harry grumbled. "We could all hear what you were doing this morning."

Hermione reddened. She turned her attention from the teenager to Harry. "I was completely silent," she insisted.

"Yeah but our Captain wasn't."

Hermione turned her attention back to the seat beside Harry. It was now empty. She glanced around, searching for the boy. She hadn't determined whether he was a threat or not, though she couldn't imagine someone around the age of twelve or thirteen being any sort of threat to anyone.

Well, he knew the ship name and when Sirius would be back there. Only a fool would attack a man on board his own ship. If he showed up, it would be for something else.

A pirate came and stood on her other side, choosing to leer at her, and Hermione grabbed her drink in one hand and Harry's hand in the other. "Come on," she said, not wanting Sirius to see the looks the pirate was giving her. Sirius could be a little bit _too_ protective at times. She led the way through the dark, smoky room until she reached their table, settling in her spot next to her lover.

...oOo...

The walk that evening consisted of visiting a few shops and Sirius picking some flowers for Hermione, though she was sworn to secrecy regarding who had actually picked them. When they returned to the ship, Hermione found herself looking around, searching for the boy from the bar.

"Bed?" Sirius suggested, pulling her close. "I've been waiting hours to get you out of that dress."

"You have?"

"You know I have. If my men could be trusted to keep their eyes off you, I'd have you walking around naked every moment," Sirius murmured. "So, how about a game of: naughty Pirate Black and innocent Lady Granger?"

Hermione just snorted. "That can wait until after I tell you about the boy in the bar," she replied instead. "Too young to be a threat but I got the impression that he knew your name. He might come here."

"Well, either he'll stow away or he'll be waiting in our chambers," Sirius said, turning and walking towards the rooms. "He better not be in there."

He froze outside of the door. At the bottom of the stairs a boy sat, waiting, shaking from the cold.

"Up, boy. Your name?"

"Teddy, Sir," the boy said, jumping to his feet. Sirius' gaze ran over him for a moment, taking in the blue hair and judging his strength and whether he'd be useful on the ship. After a moment he nodded. The boy had potential.

"Teddy. Are you here seeking employment? Cabin boy, perhaps. We don't have one anymore. Pay is low and work is hard, but—"

"I'm not here for that, Sir," came the shaky reply.

"I'm a busy man, boy. Why _are_ you here?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"I need your help."

Sirius rolled his eyes and walked past the boy, ready to go into his quarters. Hermione knew that was Sirius' way of ending the conversation so she turned to the boy quickly.

"What help? Why Captain Black? Why not a different Captain or the local guards?"

"Because someone… someone told me that if I ever get into trouble, or if I ever need help, Captain Black is the man to go to. My father… he told me to run when I could. He gave your name, Captain Black."

"Who is your father?" Hermione pushed.

"I can't say his name," Teddy murmured. "I'm here with a proposition. I have every piece of gold I own. My father is trapped on board another ship. He's been trapped for years and they trust me now. I've never tried to run, but I've been listening for your name. I knew I'd run when I found you and asked for your help."

"You want us to attack another ship to rescue your father?" Hermione asked. She knew Sirius was listening. "We need more than a handful of gold. What else do you have?" Hermione wanted to help the boy, but she wasn't sure if Sirius would do it for so little reward. Especially since the boy wouldn't name his father. The name might have had more sway in his choice, but on the other hand, Teddy could have lied about his father giving Sirius' name.

"The Death Eaters," Teddy replied. "The gold aboard the ship. I know the hiding places for everything. All I ask is that my father be brought aboard and for us to be dropped anywhere to make a life again."

"The Death Eaters? The darkest crew, led by Lucius Malfoy," Sirius asked.

"Uncle Lucius," Teddy admitted. "I ask you don't hurt him. Despite his imprisonment of my father—"

Sirius sighed. "I don't understand. Who would purposely send you my way though? I'm the least likely man who'd ever help you. I'm a pirate!"

"My father had faith in you," Teddy replied. "I'm not sure what his reasons were, but he told me to run away. He told me to get aboard your ship and I'll be safer than anywhere. He believes my safety lies with you. I was told that if I can't find you, find James Potter."

"I've no time for babysitting."

"I've been cabin boy on the other ship since I was nine," Teddy insisted. "You were ready to offer me the job. I don't want a babysitter. I want my father's freedom. He's committed no crime and I fear he'll die in that cell. Captain Black, you're not just a pirate. That's not all there is to you. I have never heard my father believe in someone the way he believes in your humanity. Please help me."

"It's a large debt to pay off," Sirius warned. "The Death Eaters could cause my crew a lot of damage and we can't even guarantee the treasure is worth our while. Four years as the cabin-boy should pay off your debt. Maybe longer if there isn't much reward."

"Yes, thank you," Teddy said hurriedly. "You won't regret this!"

"Let's hope I don't. Not a word of this to anyone, I don't want anyone to think I've gone soft. Now, I'm a little busy, find James Potter and he'll sort you out with a bunk and a list of duties."

...oOo...

It didn't take long to catch up to the Death Eaters. After all, the Marauder _was_ the fastest ship in the ocean. Teddy's advice over crew numbers came in handy. Apart from a few nasty cuts and gashes, which could be treated, there were no injuries. Nothing life threatening anyhow.

Sirius stayed above deck, choosing to send his first-mate, James Potter, below deck with Teddy to fetch his father. It was only a couple of minutes before James appeared, his face pale. "Pads, I think we need your help down there," James insisted.

Confused, and curious as to what would cause James to come and ask for help when James insisted he could do anything and everything, Sirius left Lucius and his crew above deck and headed down below after James.

The bottom of the ship smelled damp and rotted and Sirius was scared at what they would find. Was the boy's father already dead, perhaps? Maybe James needed him to break the news to the boy. Sirius wasn't looking forward to doing so. There was something familiar about the boy and that familiarity made Sirius want to give the kid good news instead of bad.

They approached a dark cage at the back of the ship, not much larger than a man and Sirius was glad that he could hear the raspy breathing of someone. Alive. Perhaps James just needed help getting the man from the cell? Or maybe the man didn't trust a new set of pirates and needed confirmation from the Captain that he'd be safe.

Teddy stepped forward to open the lock and the man moved quickly, backing away from the door. "Get away," he croaked out. "I swear this time I'll tear your throat out!"

"Dad, it's me," Teddy said. "I've come to get you out!"

"No, if they catch you… I told you to run! I said to forget about me, as long as you're safe!"

"I did run," Teddy replied as the lock clicked open. "I found the ship. I found Captain Black. He helped me. We've taken the ship over. He's here."

"You found Sirius?"

The voice was older, huskier and so tired, but no-one ever uttered his name so softly and filled with as much love. "Remus?" Sirius murmured. "Is that you?"

Remus scrambled from the cage, falling as he got through the door. Sirius and James both rushed forward, helping him to his feet. Teddy found a blanket in the corner and wrapped it around his father's body before the four slowly made their way up off the ship.

"Sirius, James. Never thought I'd see the pair of you again," Remus murmured softly. "I'm sorry for all of this trouble. I just wanted to send Teddy somewhere safe. I didn't expect anyone to come to help me."

"You know I'd always come," Sirius replied softly, leading Remus past the crew. "Let's get you over to our ship and into the infirmary. You get looked over and I'll get a cup of tea and bar of chocolate brought into you. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like I died in that cell and I'm going to heaven," Remus muttered.

"Captain, what do you want to do here?" Harry asked.

Sirius turned and looked at each of the crew who were tied up. "Love, any of them treat you with any kindness?"

The silence spoke for itself.

"Stay here. Once Remus is on our ship, me and James will be back to deal with the crew personally."

...oOo...

"Who is he?" Hermione asked, after returning from treating the man's' wounds.

"Someone from my past," Sirius replied, his chin resting on his fingers. "I didn't know he had a son. I guess I didn't know him as well as I thought."

"A friend or a lover?" Hermione questioned, though she could see the answer in his eyes.

Sirius glanced up at her. "A lover," he replied softly. "Don't worry, darling, my heart is yours now." With that he pushed his chair back and stood up. "Is he awake?"

"Drifting in and out of consciousness," Hermione replied, following Sirius from their room and towards the small room that had been designated the infirmary. "What's his name?"

"Remus Lupin," Sirius replied, pushing the door open. Hermione froze behind him. She recalled her first days on the ship, reading aloud to some of the crew. The books she had found in Sirius' bedroom had that name written carefully on the inside. Inspirational quotes and kind words, even a verse of poetry littered the front page, but all of the books were from Remus Lupin.

The man in the next room was the love of Sirius' life, which made her what? Someone who would perhaps stand in the way of their love? Someone who would be cast aside because of it?

The books had disappeared and new books stood in their place after a visit to town. Hermione had correctly assumed that the man who had gifted those to Sirius, who had taken such care with the words written into each, was an old love of Sirius'. She had never thought that she'd meet the man himself.

She took a couple of deep breaths before following Sirius into the room. Sirius approached the bed and Hermione headed around the other side, grabbing a calming medicine on the way. "If you upset him or get him worked up, I'll have to calm him and perhaps send him to sleep," she warned.

Sirius gave a slight nod before dropping down next to the bed. "Remus," he whispered. His hand reached out, fingers touching Remus' cheek. "Remus, you've gotten old!"

Remus chuckled, startling them both, though the laugh ended in a dry cough. "Here I was thinking we both still looked eighteen," he said. "Why did you come for me? I wasn't expecting to ever see you again."

"I didn't know it was for you," Sirius admitted.

"That explains it," Remus muttered.

"You think that I hold enough grudge to leave you to die?" Sirius asked, his voice harder now. "Why believe that I wouldn't come if I knew your identity?"

"The same reason you didn't want me to come with you twenty years ago," Remus replied, frowning. "Not that I can blame you for not wanting me—"

"Me? You were the one that didn't come to the shack!" Sirius snapped. "I waited there for you, Remus. I forced James to wait an extra few days because I was certain that you would turn up. I thought you loved me. We were going to take over the seas. You and me, with James at our side. We had it all planned out!"

"That's not… Sirius, I sent Peter with a message. I told him about my Lycanthropy. I asked him to tell you before it was time to go. When Peter returned, he told me you were disgusted. He told me you wanted nothing more to do with me. I hoped you'd come back for me, that you'd change your mind. I waited in the bakery for months until I realised that you had given up after all. That's when I moved on, trying to find somewhere to start a new life - one that was in a town that didn't remind me of you."

"Peter… Peter told me that you had left town," Sirius replied. "He never told me that you had Lycanthropy. I never knew. I waited for you too, until Peter came with word that you were gone and he didn't know where you were. That's when we left. But you did start a new life. You have a wife now?"

"I was lonely," Remus muttered. "It didn't last long. I moved onto the next town, but returned when I found out she was pregnant. I almost didn't return, but in the end, I couldn't leave my child… especially if he was born with Lycanthropy. I think we were only together for the sake of our son, though I felt we had the chance for something to grow. I felt like I could be happy for the first time since losing you, but after a year together, Dora passed away. I was left to raise Teddy alone. My plans to go to sea were dashed again, but this time I had a son to raise and it was worth it."

Hermione paled as she watched the man take Sirius' hand and hold it tightly. "There are only two people in the world I'd have trusted with my son. That's why I sent him your way."

Sirius' hand rested on top of Remus'. "I've missed you, Remus," he admitted. "It's been too long."

Hermione couldn't handle anymore. She slipped from the room and rushed up onto deck.

...oOo...

Sirius let himself out of the room after Remus had drifted off to sleep again. He had a fever and they didn't have the resources to help him. Fortunately they were two days from the nearest town to buy what was needed. In the meantime, Hermione would be able to keep him comfortable.

Distracted by his thoughts, he didn't notice James until he had almost walked into him.

"Potter, come to see Remus? He's fast asleep. Poor darling has a fever, and—"

"Poor Darling?" James asked, scowling at Sirius. "I hope you weren't calling him all your endearments when Hermione was in there with you… though it'd explain why she looked so upset when she came running out."

"Hermione was upset?" Sirius asked. "She was fine when we went in."

James nodded. "Straight back to how you've always been, Sirius. When it comes to Remus, you've had tunnel-vision. You forget anything and everything and only see him. That was fine when you were in love and running away together. It's not fine when Hermione gave up her plans for a life in England to stay on this ship with you. It's not fine when someone else's heart is on the line. Remus chose to leave us—"

"Peter lied. He lied to Remus and lied to us," Sirius interrupted. "But you're right. I loved… maybe I never stopped, but I love Hermione too and I was starting to plan for a future with her. I have no intentions of casting her aside for Remus, I love her. I just want to make sure Remus is back in good health. We'll find somewhere safe to bring him and give him some gold for a new life..."

James nodded approvingly. "I'll catch up with him later when he's awake. I'll go and talk to Teddy now; you better find Hermione and sort this. The crew is loyal, but Hermione is special and they all know it. Don't piss off the crew, Sirius."

Sirius headed onto deck, quickly finding Hermione laying on the deck, staring up at the stars. He lay down with her.

"Two old friends catching up. I promise you that I'm not going to run off with him and leave you. I've been planning a future with you, Hermione. I love you. I never want to hurt you. With Remus, I've always had tunnel vision and I'm sorry that I lost sight of you in that room, that you were hurting. That wasn't my intention. Remus will be healed in two days, then we head to Wales and find him a nice village to live in and we get back to normal."

Hermione didn't answer, but she reached out and took Sirius' hand in her own.

...oOo...

Hermione wanted to dislike Remus Lupin. After all, the man was clearly a contender to Sirius' heart, but she found she couldn't. Remus was everything she had thought she wanted before meeting Sirius. Where Sirius was overly charming and spontaneous, Hermione had always seen herself settling down with a man who would share her passion for books and be willing to have long discussions of them.

Surprisingly, after learning about her love of books, Remus had sought her out for conversation and the pair had spent hours talking after their duties about stories.

Hermione tried not to think about the fact that Remus talked mostly about the books she had found from him in Sirius' room. She didn't share this information with him either.

Remus also turned out to be sweet and thoughtful, two qualities she loved about Sirius. Though Remus didn't feel the need to hide that side of him as much as Sirius did.

It was safe to say that Hermione was more than a little attracted to Remus Lupin, so she couldn't blame Sirius for still having feelings for the man.

Sirius kept himself busy. Hermione wasn't sure whether it was to do with Remus' presence or not, but she told herself to trust Sirius. He had been tempted by wenches before, but had never acted on the temptation. He had done nothing to cause her to be distrustful.

When a knock sounded on their door late one night, Hermione slipped out of bed and pulled Sirius' shirt on, before heading to the door and opening it.

There was a long silent moment as she stared at Remus and he stared back.

"My apologies," he whispered finally. "I didn't realise… I wouldn't have come here tonight had I known you and Sirius were involved. Now I know, I'll keep my distance."

Hermione nodded. "I believe you," she whispered.

"You are both very lucky," Remus said, giving her a small smile. "Goodnight Hermione."

She watched him walk away, her gaze moving down to his arse. She admired it for a long moment until he was out of view, before turning, only to find Sirius right behind her.

"A nice sight," he murmured, smirking at her. "What did Remus want so late?"

Hermione hesitated. "I think he came here to seduce you," she finally admitted, unable to forget the hopeful expression that had been on his face when she had opened the door.

"Ah. I was wondering if it was you he had set his sights on," Sirius replied.

"Me? Well, he did say that we're both very lucky. Is that what you mean?"

"The Remus I remember doesn't open up to people easily. You share so many hobbies and I've watched you both enjoying each other's company."

"You didn't say anything?"

"Because I trust you," Sirius replied. "I'm just counting down the time until Remus leaves the ship." He turned and walked over to the bed, and Hermione stared after him. She suspected Sirius wanted Remus gone quickly because it was too hard to stay away from him.

And she had a feeling that once Remus was gone, he'd be taking a piece of Sirius with him. Because his appearance seemed to bring Sirius to life.

...oOo...

Remus sat on deck with Teddy, helping him study. Due to him being on the other ship since he was nine, he had missed a large chunk of education and Remus had decided to start teaching him before they arrived at wherever Sirius planned to drop them.

He looked around, spotting Sirius at the helm, alone. It wasn't something that happened often, so he excused himself and crossed the ship, quickly moving to Sirius.

He tried to maintain a distance when Sirius looked at him, his face lighting up. "Remus!"

"Sirius, I just came up here to apologise for turning up last night and to thank you for everything you're doing for me," Remus began.

"Remus, I'd do anything for you," Sirius murmured. "You know that. But… timing has been a problem. No matter how I feel for you, if anything ever happened, I'd hurt Hermione. I'd rather hurt myself than her. I love her."

"I know that now. I'm not asking for something to happen. I saw her in your room last night so I understand now. I know it's not my place to ask for another favour…"

"What is it?"

"Teddy is enjoying being at sea. Normally I would be reluctant to allow him to travel, but I trust you with my son. You and James both. If you're still in need of a Cabin Boy, he wants to stay here with you."

"You know you could both—" Sirius began.

"I can't stay, Sirius. I may understand what you and Hermione have. She's an amazing woman, and I don't even have the words to explain how special you are… but it doesn't mean I can watch you both. It hurt enough last night. I can't watch her marry you, give you a child, disappear into your room each night. I can't pretend it doesn't hurt. I need to leave the ship."

Hermione watched from the shadowy spot on the stairs as Sirius turned away from the wheel and threw his arms around Remus, clinging tightly to him. "I'll miss you."

"But at least this time we'll part knowing that there are no ill feelings between us and that we both care about each other. We can part in a more painless way."

Hermione made sure to move before Remus made his way back down.

...oOo...

Remus watched as Teddy made his way across the deck, carrying his writing supplies. His eyebrows raised as he spotted Hermione approach.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"I'd like to talk to you about Sirius," Hermione requested. "I've been doing a lot of thinking about all of this over the last few days. It's clear to me that Sirius still loves you—"

"But he loves you too," Remus said quickly. "Which I understand. I'm not planning on getting in the way—"

"No," Hermione interrupted, holding up a hand to silence him. "That's not what I meant." She paused for a moment, trying to get her thoughts in order. "I love Sirius and I know when you leave the ship, you're going to take a large part of him with you. When I first came onto the ship, he was a lonely and unhappy man. I like to think that I helped somewhat with that. I think you helped with what was still missing."

"What are you saying?" Remus asked.

"I'm saying that… would you be averse to having sex with me?"

"What? I—"

"Maybe that was more abrupt than I expected to proposition you," Hermione said with a nervous laugh. "I was thinking that there's a way would could make this work. I have no intentions of giving Sirius up if he loves us equally. But maybe neither of us have to give him up. I find you attractive and… and I would be happy to share a bed with you and Sirius both."

"Are you suggesting that the three of us…" Remus asked, looking completely shocked. Hermione wasn't hearing a _no_ and took it as a good sign.

"I am," she confirmed. "I'm suggesting that Sirius get both people he loves. The only way for him to be truly happy is to be with both of us. That means the two of us need to be willing to share. We can't fight over him, we can't hold a larger claim than each other. For this to work, I believe the relationship needs to be a triad. No jealousy, no anger."

"It'll take a lot of work…"

"It is," Hermione agreed. "We'll have to agree at the start that there are always three of us in this. Not two of us and one watching from the sidelines. If one of us chooses to step back and give the other two time alone, we need to agree now that it'll be a rare occurrence, otherwise we all get involved and it's all equal."

"I can agree to that," Remus said, smiling. "If you're sure."

"I am. I'm in this for the long run. Six months ago, I came aboard this boat willing to pay for safe passage to England to get away from an arranged marriage. I didn't count on falling in love with Sirius and when we reached England, I found myself back on the ship when it was time to depart. I'm the medic, I help cook and do a little bit of teaching. Sometimes I read stories to the crew whilst they work. There is a lot to do on this ship and there is a place for you. You said before that you used to teach. Well, there's your role on the ship." She reached out and took Remus' hand. "Not just Sirius - I would like it very much for you to be a part of us too."

Remus couldn't help but smile wider. "We arrive in Wales in a week. We can see how it goes before we decide?"

Hermione nodded. "Come on, Sirius will be going into his cabin soon enough. I think tonight shouldn't be about talking: tonight should be about seeing if the three of us are compatible. We can decide about Wales afterwards."

"And as for my place on the ship: I was supposed to be in charge of maps. I can spot ones that aren't accurate, plus learning new languages was a hobby of mine, especially ancient ones… unless they have someone doing this?"

"Not that I know of," Hermione replied. "I know Sirius gets annoyed over reading the maps, he tends to get James to do it. James gets Harry and Neville to, and they fight over it constantly. Everyone will love you if you took over."

...oOo...

Remus was looking through the shelves when Sirius walked in. The man froze at the sight of the pair in the room.

"Love?"

Hermione couldn't tell who he was talking to, but took it as initiative to walk over to Remus, taking his hand.

"Sirius, there is no talking tonight," she murmured, turning to Remus. "Feel free to join in when you're ready." She leant up, allowing her lips to find Remus' and smirked into the kiss at Sirius' sharp intake of breath.

"L...love, what are you doing?" Sirius asked, his voice closer now. The door clicked shut.

"Starting things off," she answered, turning her head. "I'm thinking that I want to ride Remus whilst you fuck him."

Hermione listened as Sirius tripped over the chair in his eagerness to reach the pair. Lips pressed against her shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"No," she admitted. "Because the other part of me wants you both to fuck me at the same time… but I know that can wait until you've had each other. I don't know where to start…"

She pulled completely away from Remus and backed up towards the bed. "I've always wanted two men," she murmured. "This could work out nicely."

"What—"

"Me and Hermione have been talking," Remus said, turning to Sirius. "If this goes well tonight, we might consider a relationship. You love both of us, so why choose? Have us both, Sirius."

"And me and Remus can have each other too," Hermione added. "No jealousy, no anger. An equal relationship for all three of us. Me and Remus have already discussed this and are happy to share you. You get the final word. There's no wrong answer. You really can have both of us."

Sirius turned his attention back to Hermione as she pulled at the laces of her corset. "What does a woman have to do to get a little help out of one of these?" she asked, pouting.

Remus glanced at Sirius, who nodded his head, telling Remus it was okay. The pair shared a smile before they started forward, two sets of fingers quickly removed Hermione's clothes.

"Beautiful," Remus whispered.

"Taste her," Sirius murmured, his fingers reaching for Remus' clothes. "And whilst you do that, I need to remember what you taste like too."

Hermione propped herself up on her elbows, eager to watch what Sirius planned to do to Remus, though she found out minutes later, that it was extremely hard to concentrate with Remus between her legs.

...oOo...

"Heard some noises coming from your room last night," Harry said, smirking at Hermione. "You're walking funny. Good night?"

Hermione turned her head. "I spent the night in bed with Sirius and Remus," she said, her voice croaky. "I've had no sleep and my body aches. I didn't even know half of those positions existed. I have never felt more satisfied in my life."

"Both of them?" Harry squeaked. He opened his mouth to comment but James elbowed him before smiling at Hermione.

"And where are they?"

"Shagging still!" She rolled her eyes. "How has Remus got that much energy?" She took in the concern on James' face. "It was my idea. I said we should share Sirius, be a triad, and you know what: I'm okay with it. I wasn't left out at all - in fact, they paid me more attention than each other. They wanted to come to breakfast with me, but I told them to take care of each other first. I felt like after the night we had, they needed to be alone to reconnect properly. It's a shame, they really are hot together, but I can watch later instead."

"So… two men," James murmured. "I asked my Lily once if she'd consider two women, but I got sent to the sofa for a month. What did I do wrong?"

"I _am_ a very lucky woman," Hermione said with a grin. "Remus is very good with his—"

"Eewww. Can we stop talking about my dad?" Teddy muttered from the other side of the table. "Wait. Does this mean we're staying on the ship?"

Hermione grinned. "I believe so," she replied. "James, Sirius wants to know if you can change course for Scotland? We need to get our hands on the Wolfsbane Potion from a witch up there and Sirius thinks I'd be able to brew the medicine— or potion myself. It'll help with the transformations and allow Remus to stay aboard with us."

"Will do," James confirmed. "I'll tell Lily to hold back some food for Sirius and Remus."

"I'll bring it to the room with me when I finish eating," Hermione replied. "I don't think we're done in there yet."

* * *

6869 words

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